Pilot and coupler structure



H. A. HOKE Feb. 8, 1938.

PILOT AND COUPLER STRUCTURE Filed July 17, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: I 07m, 16m 4% ORNEYS .Feb. 8, 1938. H. A. HOKE, 2,107,375

PILOT AND COUPLER STRUCTURE Filed July 17, 1956 '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES.- INVENTOR:

7721173] :7. Hoke, BY 1"; I

ion/v5 YS.

' Feb. 8, 1938. H. A. HOKE 2,107,376

PILOT AND COUPLER STRUCTURE Filed y 17. 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet W1 TNESSES: INVENTOR:

Harry :6. i-fokc BY ORNEYS.

Feb. 8, 1938. I H HQKE 2,107,376

PILOT AND COUPLER STRUCTURE Filed July 17, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Harry :9: 7792112,,

TORNEYS.

Patented Feb. s, 1938 I UNITED STATES PATENT oF-FroE,

PILOT AND COUPLER STRUCTURE A. Hoke, Altoona, Pa., assignor to The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 11, 1936, SeriafNo. 91,157 g 8 Claims. (01. 213-4) tive. My present invention provides a cover plate for such a coupler housing, the cover plate being mounted independently of the coupler and adapted for movement about the same pivotal l5 axis, and when 'closedforming a smooth deflecting surface continuous with the adjacent deflecting surfaces of the pilot. p

I Among the difliculties encountered in designing a cover plate for such a coupler housing are 20 those which arise from the necessityof providing for vertical adiustmentof the coupler. As

the coupler shank is raised or lowered on its pivot pin, so as to maintain the correct vertical height of the coupler abovethe rails incident to 25 changes in the deflection. of the locomotive springs, such movement of the coupler should .not interfere with accurate fitting of the cover plate in the opening leading to the couplerhousing. On the other hand, it is desirablethat the 30 cover plate shall be movablewith the coupler about the samepivotal axis. One object of the present invention is to overcome the above recited difficulties by provision of a cover plate mounted independently of the 35 coupler for swinging movement about the same pivotal axis and so arranged that. adjustment of the vertical height of the coupler can be effected without disturbing the hinging of the cover plate. Another primary object of the'inventionis to 4 provide in a pilot and coupler structure of the character described, an arrangement which permits the use of a standard form of pivoted coupler.

Another object of the invention is to provide,

in combination with a coupler housing and cover plate of the character'described, a form of uncoupling apparatus which does not require the I disconnection of any part when the coupler is 50 housed. v

Other objects and advantages of the present invention, including those derived from simplicity and compactness, will be apparent from the description hereinafterset forth of one embodiof, having reference to the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings: j

Fig. I represents a planview of a locomotive pilot structure embodying the invention, with the coupler and cover'plate shown in full lines in 5 service position, and shown in dot-and-dash'i lines in housed position. i p

Fig. II represents a front elevation of the same.

'Fig. III represents a longitudinal cross section,

taken centrally of the pilot, as indicated the lines III-III of Fig. I. f

Fig. IV represents a fragmentary front elevation, with certainparts cut away for clearness of illustration, the coupler being housed and the cover plate being shown in closed position."

Fig. V represents an enlarged longitudinal crosssection of thepilot, taken'at the coupler pin, and showing the coupler adjusted by means of shims to its maximum elevation within the ,Fig. VI represents an enlarged cross section, taken as indicated by the lines of Fig. I, showing details of a locking pin for securing the cover plate in closed position. v

Fig. VlI represents arear perspective view of the cover plate. I I

Fig. VIlI represents a plan ViW of a modified form of coupler and cover plate, in which these parts are connected together with capacity for relative vertical movement; jand,

Fig. IX represents a cross section of the pilot,

taken at the coupler pin 'showing the modified .form of coupler and cover plate with theseparts in housed position. r

With reference particularly to Figs. I and II of the drawings, there is shown a locomotive front end construction which includes an integrally cast pilot and pilot beam. In the particular example shown, the pilot and pilot beam are made up of sections bolted or otherwise secured 40 together, therebeing a central pilot member I, and .wings la, lb forminglateral extensions of the pilot and pilotbeani. It will be understood that the entire structure may be made "as an integral casting, and that the'particular cone structlon shown in the] drawings constitutes merely one example of'a locomotive front end construction to which my invention may be advantageously applied.

Thefitop surfaces of the central pilot member I and of the wings la, lb, togetherwith a deck plate 2,, form a flat deck upon which various equipment may'be' mounted, including the uncoupling apparatus comprehensively designated at 8. At the front of the pilot, the wallsflja, lb

' near the base thereof.

converge forwardly toward the center line of the locomotive and present solid deflecting surfaces well adapted to cast ah object clear of the track when struck by the locomotive. Desirably steps 9 project laterally at :each side of the structure Additional steps 6 in the form of pockets formed in the wingcastings Ia, Ib are placed at' a higher elevation." In an obviousv manner the steps I, 6 permit a man to mount to the flat deck at the top of the pilot or to gain accms to the uncoupling apparatus 3..

In order to accommodate the, coupler I, a hous- H ing 9 is provided within the central pilot memg there is a horizontal shelf 9 with an annular boss ber I. As shown most clearly in Figs. III and IV,- the pilotmember I is cellular in construction, and the housing 9 constitutes a compartment bounded at the top and bottom and on all sides except the front by webs or walls of the casting.

The housing 3 is of such shape that the coupler I may be wholly accommodated therein when not in service. At the base of the housing 9,

I9 surrounding thecoupler pin II. g

A cover plate I2, the details of which'areshown most clearly in Fig.1VlJ1, accurately flts'the open-' ing at the front ofth'e'coupler housing I. The cover plate I2 includes horizontallyfprojecting hinge lugs I9, it which are'adapted to surround The lower hinge lug I5 rests thecoupler pin II. directly upon the annular boss I at the base of the coupler housing 9, and theupper hinge lug I6 is disposed immediately, beneath the roof member; l1 of the coupler housing. It'may be assumed that the coupler 1 is of standarcl'construction, except that it is desirablyiprovided with a handle I3 for swin ng it in and out. Its shank l3 surroundsthe pivot pin II and has associated therewith shims I9 and a bearing washer 20. 1 In Fig..III,the shims I9 are shown placed above'the coupler shank", whereas in Flg. V the shims I9 are shown placed below the coupler shank f, I9. The shims, I9 thus serve as liners for adjusting the elevation of the coupler 1 with respect to the pilot, and the particular position and number of shims employed may be varied to suit conditions and to give'to coupler 1 the desired vertical height above the rails.

It will be noted that the bearing washer 20 fills the circular opening inthe lower hingelug I5 of the cover plate I2, and accordingly the cover- .plate I2 is not subjected to the weight or the [coupler and may turn freely about the coupler of fits a corresponding shoulder for'med in the g pin II. The circular opening in the upper hinge lug I8 of the cover plate rounds the coupler pin II. Thus the cover plate I2 may be swung in a horizontal plane about'the pivotal axis 'of the coupler 1, but its vertical height is not dependent upon the position of the coupler 1. Whereas the coupler 1 is rendered vertically adjustableby changing the position of the shims l9, the cover plate I2 is fixed in its vertical position so that when closed it accurately fills the opening at the. front of the coupler housing 3.

When the coupler Us in its lowermost position,

as represented in Fig. III and is extended forwardly, the shoulder 22 formed at the base therepilot member I between the annular boss III and the frontwall of the pilot. On the other hand, when the coupler 1 is raised to its position of maximum elevation 'with respect to the pilot, as represented in Fig. V, the clearance beneath the base of the coupler may be taken care of by "the insertion of liners 23 extending partway around l2 directly surthe boss III. The liners 23 are desirably of such construction that they may be readily applied or removed as required. In orderthat there shall be no obstruction to the movement of the cover plate I2, a portion of the cover plate is cut away a at 24, and when the liners 23 are employed they project through this cutaway portion of the cover plate I2.. At the top of .thecoupler housing 9, there is provided anarcuate opening 25 which accommodates the link 23 attached to the lifter mechanism of the coupler 1. As the coupler 1 is swung from its service position to housed position, the opening 29 prevents interference with the movement of the link 20. In order to cover the opening 25, the cover plate I2 has at the 'the' top deckand terminating'at eachfend in a handle 29. To the central portion of the operating rod 23 there is applied a lever "which is joined by a pivot bolt 3| to the yoke portion of an extension arm 32. The extension arm 32 joins the link 29 which in turn is attached to the lifter mechanism ,of the coupler 1. It will be particularly noted that 'thepivotal'connection between the lever 30 and the extension arm 32 is disposed directly above the us the'coupler center pin I I Uncoupling v is effected by swinging upwardly either of the handles 29 at the ends of the operating rod 29. Moreover, when the coupler 1 is housed within the housing 8,-no disconnection is required of any of the parts of the uncoupling apparatus. Such partsare at alltimes in readiness for service.

In order to limit radial motion of the coupler 1 in a counterclockwise direction, a stop pin 34 is employed, thepin 34 being normally housed in a pocket 39 and secured against removal" by means of a collar 38 at the base thereof, asshown mostv clearly in Fig. 111. In its housed position,

represented in Figl IV, the top of the stop pin 39 is beneath'the bottom of thecoupler. When the coupler is extended forwardly to service position, the pin 34 is raised and turned to the position represented in Figs. I, II and HI, wherein its ;en-

' .larged top portion which isof elliptical cross sec tion rests on the shelf 9 and bears against an upstanding abutment 31.

I To returnthestop pin 39 to housed position, the pin is elevated and rotated clear of the abutment 31 and then dropped into the pocket 39. Radial movement of the cou- V pler 1 in the other direction'is limited by the side wall of the coupler housing 3. i

when the cover plate I2 closes the opening at the front of the coupler housing 9, it may be,

locked inposition by means of a locking pin 39. The locking pin 39 1s secured against removal by means of a cotter 49, andits top is conveniently formed to the shape of a handlelll. The'locking pin 39 is adapted to engage an aperture in a I projecting flange 92 disposed at the top corner of the cover plate I2.- Details of the locking pin 39 are-shown clearly in Fig'.,VL

Amodiflcation ofthe'invention is shown in Figs. VIII and IX. The cover plate I2c there shown is substantially similar to the 'coverplate,

hereinbefore described. except that instead of being provided with hinge lugs it is secured to the coupler 10 by means of bolts 49. The bolts 99 pass through slots 49 in the face of the cover plate I2, and are adjustable vertically. To prowide for such adjustment, wedge-shaped washers 45 are desirably employed at each side of the cover plate l2, and a nut 46 is used to draw the washers 45 together. The modified form of cover plate I swingswith the coupler 'Ic about the same pivotal axis, but it is capable of adjustment vertically so that the lowering or raising of the coupler 10 will not'prevent the cover plate I20 from accurately fitting the opening at the front of the coupler housing 8. To take care of this adjustment of the relative position of the cover plate He and the coupler, 1c, the bolts 43 are loosened, then moved to the desired position within the slots 44 and then tightened again. Desirably the cover plate I20 is provided with a handle 41! by means of which the coupler and cover plate may be moved simultaneously.

It will be apparent, both with respect to the principal and the modified form of the invention represented in the drawings, that the use of a cover plate for the coupler housing of the type herein described takes care of the problem of raising and lowering the coupler with respect to the pilot without interference with accurate fitting of the cover plate within the opening at the front of the coupler housing. Moreover, when in the closed position the cover plate forms a smooth surface continuous with the adjacent deflecting surfaces of the pilot, so that the front end of the vehicle is devoid of any projecting parts or large openings, and accordingly, there is no danger of objects catching on the front of the vehicle rather than being cast off therefrom.

It will also be apparent that the pilot and coupler structure of this invention does not require any special form of coupler. The cover plate being separate from the coupler, the invention can be readily applied to the standard pivoted couplers now generally used.

While I have described my invention with reference to a specific front end construction, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention is applicable to many other pilot structures, and that various changes in the elements herein described in detail are contemplated, without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A front end structure for a railway vehicle comprising a pilot, a coupler housing therein having an opening bounded by the deflecting surfaces of the pilot, a coupler pivotally mounted on said pilot and movable from a service position, wherein it projects forwardly through said opening, to a position within said housing, and a cover plate for said opening mounted for movement about the same pivotal axis as that of the coupler, said cover plate when closed forming a. deflecting surface continuous with the deflecting surfaces of the pilot, and said cover plate and coupler having capacity for relative vertical adjustment.

2. A front end structure for a railway vehicle comprising a pilot and a pilot beam formed integrally therewith, a coupler housing in said pilot having an opening bounded by solid deflecting surfaces, a coupler pivotally mounted on said pilot and adapted for horizontal movement from a service position, wherein it projects forwardly through said opening, to a position within said housing, and a cover plate for said opening, said plate being mounted independently of said coupler for horizontal movement about the same pivotal axis and presenting, when closed, a solid surface continuous with the surrounding deflecting surfaces of the pilot.

3. A front end structure for a railway vehicle comprising a pilot, a coupler housing therein having an opening bounded by the deflecting surfaces of the pilot, a coupler pin within said housing, a coupler pivotally mounted on said pin and movable from a service position to a position within said housing, and a cover plate for said opening, said cover plate being mounted for independent rotation on said coupler pin and serving to close the opening of the coupler housing.

4. A front end structure for a railway vehicle comprising a pilot, a coupler housing therein having an opening bounded by the deflecting surfaces of the pilot, a coupler pin within said housing, a coupler pivotally mounted on said pin, means on said pin for adjusting the vertical height of said coupler, said coupler being movable from service position to a position within said housing, and a cover plate for said opening, mounted independently of said coupler for movement about the coupler pin, said cover plate serving to close said opening.

5. A front end structure for a railway vehicle comprising a pilot, a coupler housing therein, having an opening bounded by the deflecting surfaces of the pilot, a coupler pivotally mounted on said pilot and movable from a service position, wherein it projects forwardly through said opening, to a position within said housing, a stop member movable vertically from beneath said housing to a raised position wherein it limits radial movement of the coupler, and a cover plate for said opening mounted independently of the coupler about the same pivotal axis.

6. In a front end structure for a. railway vehicle comprising a pilot, a coupler housing therein having an opening bounded by deflecting surfaces of the pilot, a coupler pivotally mounted on said pilot and movable from service position to a position within said housing, a cover plate for said opening, said cover plate being mounted independently of the coupler for movement about the same pivotal axis, and uncoupling apparatus including link members having a pivotal connection about said pivotal axis of the coupler.

'7. In a front end structure for a railway vehicle comprising a pilot. a coupler housing therein having an opening bounded by deflecting surfaces of the pilot, a coupler pivotally mounted on said pilot and movable from service position to a position within said housing, a cover plate for said opening, said cover plate being mounted independently of the coupler for movement about the same pivotal axis, uncoupling apparatus including link members having a pivotal connection about said pivotal axis of the coupler, and an arcuate opening in the top of the pilot accome modating the lifter arm when the coupler is in housed position.

8. In a front end structure for a railway vehicle, a pilot, a. coupler housing therein having an opening bounded by the deflecting surfaces of the pilot, a coupler pivotally mounted on said pilot and movable from a service position to a position within said housing, a cover plate for said opening mounted for movement about the same pivotal axis as that of the coupler, a connection between said cover plate and coupler whereby said parts move together in a horizontal plane but have capacity for relative vertical adjustment, and a handle on the exterior surface of said cover plate.

HARRY A. HOKE. 

